EP Review: The Growlers – Not. Psych!
The Growlers are one of those rare bands that just don’t give a shit; they play the kind of music they want to play and do it in their own way. Any band that has a record called Greatest Shits and a single named ‘Gay Thoughts’ is destined for stardom in my eyes. Made up of singer Brooks Nielson, Matt Taylor (guitar), Scott Montoya (drums), Anthony Perry (bass) and Kyle Straka (keys and guitar), the boys from California are the rock and rolling godfathers of the self-coined... Read More
Album Review: Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip – Repent, Replenish, Repeat
For those of you who don’t know, Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip (or dlsvsSP, as I will incorrectly refer to them) are a pair of lads from Essex, who collaborate to make some form of urban. The ignorance at the end of the last sentence is only partly feigned, though there is enough spoken word and hollering about Scroobius Pip’s vocals to put it in the realm of hip-hop, and not enough drum or bass in Dan le Sac’s music to put it in the realms of garage. The resulting... Read More
LIVE: JUNGLE – 10/10/2013
– THE ROADHOUSE, MANCHESTER – During the opening dramatic instrumental which shakes yet innocently chimes around The Roadhouse, it is clear what the audience are thinking; “Any minute now those green-tracksuit clad, roller-skating guys are going to dash enthusiastically on stage.” A thought which takes on deeper significance when ‘The Heat’ begins to jive around the somewhat confused audience, the video of which completely focuses on these fashion-aware... Read More
LIVE: NO AGE – 10/10/2013
– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – I am prepared for a No Age show. Or at least I think I am. I have heard about their ferocious live reputation, Dean Spunt and Randy Randall melting the eardrums of everyone in attendance with their incredibly loud drums /guitar combo, sending punters home covered in sweat and with the sound of tinnitus in their delicate ears. How loud can it be though? I’ve seen My Bloody Valentine do their 20 min pure noise segments, it can’t... Read More
LIVE: JOHNNY FLYNN & THE SUSSEX WIT – 7/10/2013
– CLUB ACADEMY, MANCHESTER – Promoting his new album Country Mile, Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit return to Manchester after a two year interlude from, where he has been delving into the delights of theatre. Support was provided by the delectable Marika Hackman and Cosmo Sheldrake. Manchester’s Club Academy; that drab, slimy host, the Uncle who is all too inviting yet insists on wearing his favourite – and sick stained – jumper. Arriving at the... Read More
LIVE: CAVFEST – 21/09/13
– CAVENDISH PRIMARY SCHOOL, MANCHESTER – Now normally when primary schools have fundraisers, the most exotic it gets is throwing soggy sponges at the headmaster in the playing fields outside. However, this is Manchester and at Cavendish Primary in Didsbury, they do things a little differently. The school site manager was once a guitarist in The Fall (although we’ve probably all had a stint doing that in our time) and two years ago he created… CavFest –... Read More
NEWS: PARQUET COURTS – ‘YOU GOT ME WONDERIN’ NOW’ VIDEO + EP
Parquet Courts’ new EP, ‘Tally All The Things That You Broke,’ is out Monday 14th on What’s Your Rupture?, and Ricky the Ghost – who graces the cover of the new EP – leads in a sing-along of the first single, ‘You’ve Got Me Wonderin’ Now.’ The video was directed by Food Party and Late Night Munchies creator/weirdo Thu Tran.The band will be playing their biggest UK dates at the end of the month. Be prepared to hear stuff off their instant... Read More
NEWS: FINDLAY – UK TOUR + EP
Hot on the heels of supporting Jake Bugg and Miles Kane and a full-on festival assault which included Reading & Leeds, Secret Garden Party and Ibiza Rocks, the one woman powerhouse that is Findlay delivers more passionate, filthy musings on forthcoming ‘Greasy Love’ EP, which is released on Polydor on 25th November. She has also announced a full UK tour to coincide with this release. With producer Flood (Depeche Mode, Foals, PJ Harvey) at the controls,... Read More
NEWS: GYRATORY SYSTEM – NEW SINGLE/VIDEO ‘HARMONOGRAPH’
The great new single ‘Harmonograph’ b/w ‘Doodlebug’ is available now for download via the band’s Bandcamp page. Gyratory System is a live/electronica project started by Andrew Blick (production, trumpet, sound treatments). Featuring a range of musicians including live instrumentalists Robin Blick (reeds, brass) and James Weaver (bass, synthesiser) Gyratory System have released two critically acclaimed albums; ‘The Sound-Board Breathes’... Read More
LIVE: SPACEHOG – 6/10/2013
– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – Many things were lost in the noise of Britpop and grunge – bands that otherwise would have stood out as special were overlooked in the search for the next Oasis, the next Nirvana. Spacehog are a band who straddled the Atlantic with a toe in each of these scenes, without ever really being in one camp or the other. Although having achieved significant success, including topping the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks for four weeks... Read More
